Full Metal Alchemist The Stone of Golgotha
by Zilla Tatsushin
Summary: In their quest to find the Philosopher's Stone, Ed and Al meet up with Silas Baroque, a priest who used to be a State Alchemist assigned to Alchemic Research. More specifically, the Philoopher's Stone. What this priest knows may shake Ed and Al, and the
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The afternoon sun shone brightly onto the cathedral as the Elric brothers approached. Ed stopped in his ascent of the front steps as the bells in the tower began to sound, sending their coursing tone through his body. He listened as the bells struck three times, a contemplating look on his face. After a moment, he finished his ascent and threw open the large double doors of the church.

Though the congregation was absent, a lone monk stood amongst the cold stone, mop in hand and a bucket at his feet. Seeing the light of the outdoors on his freshly cleaned floor, the man raised his head to greet his guests. "Ah… Good afternoon to you my young sojourners. Have you come to pray to Jehovah God to be cleansed of your sins? Or maybe you have come to worship and praise Him, hmm?"

"Sorry, but no," Ed said as he buried his hands into his coat pockets casually and began to look about the cathedral, "I'm an agnostic. Big place you have here."

"So you do not believe in God?" the old man asked with a slight chuckle. "It seems so hard for me not too. One look at the birds of the air, or the expanse of sky and I find myself knowing there is a God… So, if you have not come to worship or pray, may I help you with something else my friends?"

Ed and Al looked at each other, then to the old man. His sun-tanned skin creased as he smiled at them warmly, the very image of a working grandfather, or a kindly old farmer.

Al was the one to break the silence. "We're looking for someone. We need some information and we're sure that he knows something."

"Oh, really? Well, I'm well acquainted with nearly every soul who attends this congregation, maybe I can be of service. Who might it be that you are looking for?"

"We're looking for a man named Silas." Al said. "Silas Baroque. We heard he attends this church."

The old man chuckled softly at first, but soon grew to outright laughter. "Attend? My dear friends, I should hope so. Silas Baroque is the minister to this church."

"He's the priest, huh?" Ed asked, lowering an arm to his hip and resting his knuckles there.

"And an wonderful alchemist." Began the old man, "He has such beautiful skills and talents, and his craft is as near flawless as I've seen. A finer alchemist has never walked these aisles."

With a conceited grin, Ed pointed a thumb to himself, "That was before I showed up. Wait! So he's a priest, AND an alchemist? I thought gods hated alchemy. Doesn't yours forbid 'the devil's art'? Isn't alchemy labeled 'witchcraft' or something against your religious laws?"

"Not at all," came a voice from behind the Elrics. They turned to watch as a young man in a black priest's robe and prayer shawl draped around his shoulders entered the cathedral from the large doorway they themselves had just entered from. His white hair contrasted with his black attire, giving him a noble appearance, and his fair skin seemed to add to the holy presence one expects to follow a priest. "Our Father says to avoid witchcraft and being ignorant. These are tied together in the subject of alchemy. As I'm sure you know, alchemy is a science, and only the ignorant condemn it as 'witchcraft'.

"God above has given us the sciences to benefit our lives as well as help us better understand His Creation, and surely, such a wonderful and useful science as alchemy shouldn't be condemned. After all, it is through alchemy that I built this church for my God three years ago, and it is through alchemy that the power of God is made known. Welcome to my church. I am the one you seek. Silas Baroques, at your services, Master Edward Elric… the Fullmetal Alchemist."

"I see you're still up-to-date with your military personnel, Silas Baroque, the Requiem Alchemist." Ed said, extending his right hand.

Silas smiled softly as a moment of silence ensued. "I have not been called that in nearly four years."

"I know." Ed said, pulling a book from his pocket. "Silas Baroque;" Ed read, "you joined the military eight years ago as a State Alchemist specializing in the laws of the conservation of matter on the levels of audible decibel energy… in other words, you transmute sound energy into matter and then vise versa. You served valiantly in the Ishbaal incident, but were discharged from the military four and a half years ago because of your refusal to cooperate with orders that you dubbed 'immoral and ungodly'. However, thanks to your connections with some of the higher-ups, you were reinstated as a military chaplain… officially. However, behind the paperwork, you were still a soldier and conducted alchemic investigations and research for the state.

"But, four and a half years ago, you were once again discharged, honorably this time, due to what you claimed was your failing mental health… but there are no records of any psychiatric therapy… no medications prescribed… and no documented symptoms. You really didn't have a mental break down… did you Silas?"

The fair skinned man once again smiled at the alchemic prodigy. "No. I didn't."

"Tell me, then. Was it the Philosopher's Stone?" Ed's eyes became steely and his tone ominous.

There was a long silence as Silas' ice-blue eyes met Ed's golden ones. "Brother Franklin, you may go home… I'll finish the cleanings."

"But Father Silas… I…"

"Please, Brother Franklin. I must converse alone with these two fine alchemists… alone." Silas said, his stare in Ed's eyes never breaking.

"A-all right… Father Silas. I…uh… may God bless to two of you, sirs. I take my leave." Franklin leaned the mop he had been using up to now against the stone wall and exited the church, closing the doors behind him. There was a pause and then Silas walked over and locked the large wooden doors.

"It was, wasn't it… the Philosopher's Stone." Ed said, his eyes seeming to try and burrow into Silas' heart.

"Yes; partially. But there are other components as well. Tell me, how long have you been searching for the Philosopher's Stone?" Silas asked as he returned to the Elrics, motioning for them to sit in one of the pews.

Al sat down and scooted over as Ed sat on the outside of the long bench. "Nearly three and a half years." Al said. "Ever since we…" Al cut off, no knowing whether to tell this pastor.

"… ever since our accident." Ed picked up, a depressed look gracing his usually optimistic countenance. "It was idiocy on my part. We loved our mother… very much. She was the world to us. She was always there."

"She was kind and loving. She was all we truly had." Al said, bowing his own head, as if he wished to cry. "But one day, she got sick… really sick. She died."

Ed took over again. "So we placed ourselves under a teacher to increase our knowledge and skills in alchemy. We were determined to bring our mother back. The day came and all the preparations were made." Ed began to strip away his coat. "But the expereiment went horribly wrong." He revealed his metallic Auto-mail arm, its surface glistening in the little light that fill the cathedral.

"It took my brother's left leg… and my whole body. I think I died. It was black and quiet for a while, as though I was in a deep sleep. When I came too… Ed's right arm was missing… blood was all over the place. He sacrificed his right arm to rescue my soul from oblivion."

"I transmuted Al's soul into this armor. He doesn't eat, he doesn't sleep, he doesn't feel… He doesn't…" Ed became very quiet.

Another moment of silence passed as Ed's eyes filled with tears. "And so you want the Philosopher's Stone to fix everything that went wrong, right?" Silas asked.

"Yes. We've given up on our mother… but we still want our bodies back." Al said.

"I see." Silas said. "I know you probably don't want to hear this, but your story is one of the most definite proofs of God I've ever heard."

"Yeah right." Ed said, rolling his eyes. "Where was God amongst all that?"

"Isn't it obvious? Right in the middle of it. If we are simple accidents of evolution or any other such theory, then why do we have such deep spiritual connections that would firstly, cause us to break the laws of alchemy to resurrect a loved, and then sacrifice of yourself to save your brother? Plus, to believe in a soul, when you get down to it, you must believe in God. Humans alone have souls… and therefore are separate from everything else. Trees, animals, stones… we were made by God, and given the gift of a soul, which you have so masterfully snatched from some horrendous fate to give your brother here a second chance."

"You can preach all you like. I'm still not buying." Ed said, looking in the other direction, an annoyed look crossing his face.

"Very well, I won't lecture you; onto business. The Philosopher's Stone… Follow me." Silas rose and stepped towards a wall in the cathedral. He lifted a hand to his throat and hummed a single, sustained noted. As the note died away, the wall began to shift to the left, revealing a secret passage way."

"An alchemic doorway. You have to re-transmute it every time you need it. I take it that was the power of musical transmutation?" Ed said, studying the wall.

"Correct." Confirmed Silas. "Most stones react with this particular note, and therefore making that specific note the logical choice for most stone-based transmutation."

"I noticed you don't use a transmutation circle. Are you like brother?" Al asked as he began to step towards the newly formed doorway.

Silas smiled. "I'm sorry, no. I'm nowhere near as skilled as the infamous Fullmetal Alchemist as to go without a circle. No…" Silas pulled at the collar on his robe, revealing a leather collar, studded with a golden transmutation circle, garnished in musical symbols. "That's why I raise my hand to my throat; to activate the circle. I can then supply the circle directly with the raw materials I need for the transmutation directly from my voice box."

"Very clever." Ed said. "Can we go now?"

"Indeed." Silas said as he grabbed a torch on the wall and raised it to his throat. After another hummed note, the torch lit. "Follow me to my secret laboratory."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lust mused from her perch opposite the church. She watched with her violet and hungry eyes as the small youth and large suit of armor entered. Gluttony, as usual, stood at her side, gnawing away at whatever he could get his hands on. "It seems as though the Elrics have gone to pray." came Lust's sultry voice from her smooth throat.

"Pray…" Gluttony repeated as he placed a bird's nest he had pulled from a gutter into his mouth… the chicks still in it. He swallowed and wiped the small gore from his lips as he looked up towards Lust, as though waiting on instruction.

"Why would they come here?" Envy said as he sat on the other edge of the building.

"Silas Baroque is there." Lust said, her eyes never leaving the now closed doorway.

"You mean the 'Sing-song Alchemist' or whatever the hell it was that they called him? I thought he cracked." Envy said, rolling his head back to look towards Lust.

"Sing song… Sing song!" Gluttony repeated gleefully as he searched for something else to eat.

"No, he didn't break down. He faked it and pulled strings with connections he had higher up in the military… namely, one former Maes Hughes. Silas performed his wedding and befriended our snooping friend. After Silas discovered what it took to create a stone, his Christianity got the better of him, and he went to Hughes, who went to Mustang. Flame gave Requiem an honorable discharge under the pretenses of deteriorating mental health." Lust's eyes still seemed to be locked on the door.

"So he was another alchemist working on the stone?" Envy asked, standing. "So does that make him worthy of our sacrifice?"

"No. He is to be killed. However, there is important information on the Stone that only he knows. He must pass them on to the Fullmetal boy before we can kill him. We have to make sure the information is passed along.

"Great… so if we aren't here to kill anyone, why are we here?" Envy asked, standing to face Lust.

"Lust!" Gluttony called. "Can I eat him!" Lust turned to see that the doors had once again opened and an old monk had emerged. The streets were clear, and the monk was headed for the alleyway next to their building perch.

"I don't see why not." Lust said, patting Gluttony on the head.

"You heard her," Envy said, his evil smiled breaking across his face. "Go to it, big guy."

"Yea!" Gluttony shouted as he leapt over the low wall on the building and into the alley.

Envy repeated his question, "So, why are we here?"

"It's a simple matter really. We make sure Requiem passes along the chosen information, and nothing else. He cannot be allowed to divulge the relevancy of the Stone to his musical and theological studies. The last thing we need right now is for Mr. Elric to refine his conscience."

"Is that all?" Envy asked, his voice taking on an annoyed tone.

"No. Though we are to keep Requiem from making deep theological connections to the stone, we must make sure that he unveils the great good the stone has done in the past."

"I see. So we convince the Fullmetal runt that the sacrifice of a few human lives is nothing compared to the good the stone can do?" Envy crossed his arms as he spoke.

"Hit the nail on the head." Lust said. "However, it's a tender subject. If we allow Silas to delve to deeply into his Bible, we cut our legs from under us by allowing the soul searching questions connected with theology to pass through the Elric boy's head.

"What do we do if he crosses that line?" Envy asked.

"Our priorities are clear. Though the information Requiem has will aid us in our final goal, keeping Fullmetal from his theological debates ranks far higher. Do not hesitate to kill the priest."

Envy nodded and smiled, prepared to do what he did best… deceit and murder. As Envy stepped forward, Gluttony's voice called forth from the alleyway. "Lust…" there was a final smacking noise, "Lust, I'm done."

"Wipe your mouth, Gluttony." Lust said. "We're going to church."

"Church… pray… heh, heh…" Gluttony rambled from his place in the alley.

Lust leapt from the building, landing lightly in the center of the street. Envy soon followed, and Gluttony emerged from his meal. Suddenly, the church no longer seemed like a friendly and inviting place.

Silas placed the torch in a cast iron holder bolted to the wall at the end of the long descending staircase that had been so well hidden behind the cathedral's walls. He stood before another door, made of oak and clad in heavy locks. Silas again raised his hand to his throat, emanating a single sustained note. The locks quivered, and then popped open.

"Alchemic locks as well?" Alphonse asked.

"No." Silas said with a shrug, "I forgot my keys."

Ed stared after the priest as he stepped into the room. "So, God's voice to his people is still human, eh?"

"Did I ever claim to be otherwise?" Silas said as he groped along the wall to the left of the door. "Of course we're human… we are unworthy of the Father's grace and love… but we do strive, and he honors our attempts." After a moment, he flipped the switch he had been searching for.

Bright electric lights filled the enormous stone lab, revealing long, metal tables on which sat notes, beakers, and other laboratory tools. An extensive library lined one of the huge walls, stretching from one end of the lab all the way to the other.

Ed stared through the massive room with a look of awe… "You're library…" he began. He wasn't able to finish his sentence, overcome by the overwhelming volumes of… well, volumes.

"Yes, it's my life's collection. It was started by my father on my first birth day, and once monthly, a new volume was added." Silas said as he caressed the shelves. "However, I stopped collecting after I joined the military. I have read every last one."

"Are they all on alchemy?" Al asked.

"No. Most are classic novels, fiction in its finest form as well as truth in its unveiled glory. Some are on theology… but yes, there are quiet a few alchemic works as well."

"Do you have any notes up there?" Ed asked as he began to scan the books and their titles.

"No, my notes are kept separately, in the next room." Silas pointed along the bookshelves to the opposite end of the room, past the laboratory equipment to a wooden door. "In there I keep my personal notes and findings."

"May I?" Ed turned to Silas.

"You may." Silas nodded.

Ed walked away from Al and Silas towards the door. Upon reaching its threshold, he opened the door, pulling it open, revealing a small walk-in closet. All three walls were composed of shelves packed with diaries and notebooks. Ed removed the first volume in reach and began to pour over them.

"It's best we occupy ourselves, now." Alphonse said. "Once he begins to hunt for information, it's difficult to disturb him."

"Ah, I see. That's an amazing gift in itself." Silas said. "So, we shall hold out own conversation. Tell me… how much do you know about the Philosopher's Stone?"

"Well, we know of its past… at least part of it. We found out that it has ties to the Ishbaal incident, and that the Ishbaalans may have had one, which is why the State became involved. The Ishbaalans supposedly had the Stone, and the military wanted it. Or at least, that's the story we were lead to believe. We soon discovered that neither side had a true Philosopher's stone… both sides were being manipulated by some higher force in order to create one. The Stone, however, was never made.

"The man who started to make the stone was the older brother of the State Alchemist Assassin, known as Scar, who arrived in Central a few years ago. However, the Crimson Alchemist, Kimbley, assaulted a group of Ishbaalan refugees; a group which included Scar and his brother. Kimbley destroyed Scar's right arm, and Scar's brother stepped in to save him. When Scar awoke, his brother's right arm was alchemically fused to his body.

"On that arm was the transmutation circle called 'the Grand Arcanum'. It is the circle used to absorb lives and souls to create the Philosopher's Stone.

"We also discovered another recipe to create the Stone, but both required the sacrifice of vast amounts of human beings, so we have been seeking out a less destructive method."

Silas sighed. "A less destructive method? Wouldn't that be wonderful? To break the law of Equivalent Exchange with the Stone even before it is created…"

"What do you mean? Breaking Equivalent Exchange _before_ the Stone is made?" Al asked, confused by the priest's statement.

"What I mean, Alphonse Elric, is…"

"Regardless of how you want to make one, the Philosopher's Stone requires a great blood sacrifice…", Ed said, almost angry as he approached with a few of Silas' notebooks under his arm. He opened up one of Silas' books and began to quote from it. "_Many times in the Holy scripture, great miracles were achieved after a huge amount of death, destruction, and suffering. It is possible that each time one of these huge miracles occurred, God was preparing his people to receive Salvation through the power of a Philosopher's Stone._" Ed looked up, "And then it goes on to list examples found through the Christian Scriptures."

"I take it you are not pleased with your findings?" Silas said regretfully.

"I'm not pleased, but I am satisfied." Ed said. "At least we now know that there are other methods; and although they also involve bloodshed, there is still the possiblility of another way." Ed opened up another of Silas' books. "…_which brings me to the New Testament. After the Messiah left us, his apostles began to perform amazing works with little sacrifice compared to those of the Old Testament. In theory, then, a Philosopher's Stone may be created without a genocidal movement, but with merely a small price of self sacrifice and suffering._"

Again, Ed closed the book. "If we could find a way to make the Stone like that, the world could be made a better place without a blood ridden rampage."

"I suppose you're right." Silas agreed. "However, there is still blood shed and suffering, just not in the massed quantities for the Stone of the Grand Arcanum."

"But according to your notes, the Stones of your Old Testament also required vast amount of death. What changed between the Old and New Testaments… and while we're on the subject, why on earth did you decide to resurrect this ancient religion of yours? People stopped following Christianity over 400 years ago." Ed asked

"What changed between the Old and New was the _reason_ I 'resurrected' Christianity in Central. In a word, what changed was the Christ. Would you agree, supposing a God exists, that his death would be the equivalent of countless mortal lives?"

"No… every person matters!" Ed said, crossing his arms and scowling.

"You're still thinking as an agnostic. To understand my theory, you must think as a theologian." Silas said, chiding him.

"Fine… _if_ there was a God, and _if_ he died… then yes. I would think his death was the equivalent of a large amount of human lives." Ed said, scrutinizing Silas' face.

"Not a large amount, Ed… countless lives. We're talking about _the_ God, the Creator of all, the Judge of the Universe."

"Fine, whatever, countless…" Ed said, getting rather impatient.

"With that infinite cost, Christ, who was God incarnated as a man, allowed himself to not only die… but die in an impossibly excruciating manner. He was flogged until his internal organ hung from his open flesh. Nearly all the skin from the neck to the lower waist was stripped clean room the beatings. A crown of thorns, each over an inch long, was slammed down over his head in mockery. A rough cloth was set on his skinless body, and he was forced to carry a wooden cross that weighed over 250 pounds.

"On top of that, the cross he carried was unsmoothed wood. It's coarse grain rubbed against his skinless flesh, burying splinters into him. For nearly two and a half miles, he carried this burden, no skin on his back, blood pouring from everywhere, his intestines hanging in place from his body, and with no food or water to sustain the strain.

"In light of this… do you think that this single death of THE God would merit infinite human souls?"

Neither Ed nor Al spoke for a moment. Ed's eyes were open in shock. "T-They did that to him?" he asked, trying to keep control over his voice.

"Yes. And then when they reached the final destination, 8 inch spikes were driven into each of his wrists, and once 10 inch one through both feet as he was pinned to his cross. His arms were tied to the braces, and he was raised up and the cross slammed into the ground. In order to even breathe, he had to push up on his feet… push up on the nail through them… and then in weakness, with full lungs, drop down again, putting pressure on the nails in his arms…

"He did this over and over again. He was curse, spat on… and soldiers even gambled over his clothes as he hung there, naked and shamed. He called for a drink, because his throat was dry from lack of water for nearly two days, and his lips were swollen from the severe beating he endured. What they gave him was fermented vinegar on a sponge, raised by a stick to his lips.

"What spilled from the sponge landed on his open flesh, causing more burning… but the beverage did its job, and he called out… 'It is finished…' and died."

Again, the Elric brothers were silent. Al was the first to speak after a long pause. "Silas… I… I had no idea."

"Is that price worth it Ed?" Silas asked again, staring into Ed, who had long since cast his gaze to the stone floor.

"Yes."

"Now comes to play Equivalent Exchange. He died fro every man and woman… He died to pay for the wrong things you've done… he died so we all could…"

Silas' sentence was cut off as the wooden door top his lab splintered as the short, stout Homunculus, Gluttony burst through and stood before the three of them, grinning. Lust and Envy followed.

"Knock knock…" Envy growled through a grin. "It's time to play…"


End file.
